In a recent New York Post article, a writer gives commentary on why adults should leave Halloween to the kiddies. Adults shouldn’t dress up they say, nor should they carve pumpkins.

The writer remains nameless probably because they don’t want to be known as the person who worked so hard to ruin everyone’s fun.

The author’s byline is simply, Post Staff Report and he/she begins the article titled “Adults Should Celebrate Halloween Without Dressing Up” by referencing America’s current turmoil, not mass shootings or hurricanes, but adults donning costumes for that once-a-year nationwide masquerade on October 31.

“We assume some of these folks have kids,” they write. “Give it a break. Give the holiday back to the children. Grow up.” They write.

They amend that inflammatory statement by saying it’s okay to celebrate the holiday, but do it with tasteful home décor or make a “Halloween-themed” dessert, but that is as far as an adult should go.

The writer’s prejudice is bolstered by referencing vanilla impulse buy housewife magazines.

Better Homes and Gardens and Good Housekeeping are suggested primers on how adults should “behave.”

This means NOT carving pumpkins, but painting them instead: “a personal” touch they suggest.

At iHorror we suspected the article might be “fake news” or even written as a parody, maybe clickbait, which we certainly understand given the nature of online news these days.

But this editorial came from the New York Post, not as reputable as the Times, but still a formidable news agency on the east coast.

There are a few problems with the writer of this article’s views. First and foremost why are they so hellbent on taking the fun out of Halloween for adults? It’s the only time of the year for most of us to express our creativity and go out in public.

I am not a historian on Halloween or its origins but what I do know is that it’s a night to embrace what makes us different; pay homage to movies and iconic characters that were so important to our childhoods, bond with our own kids and in the same moment formulate new memories.

Not only that, horror movies and Halloween go hand-in-hand. Who hasn’t dressed up like a vampire or a zombie either as a kid or as an adult? These characters have a lot to do with our own identities. In fact, without these legendary characters, kids would still be cowboys or “indians” or cutting two eyeholes into a sheet to go out as a ghost.

Halloween is not all about the candy either. Yes, it’s certainly a plus, but I would say that Halloween candy is now sort of a gift of appreciation–nobody offers the “trick” option anymore. Adults who walk the long residential blocks with their kids in costume are just as excited to see the extravagance that goes into a themed house. To suggest that adults remove themselves from the celebration would mean suburban blocks would go dark, back into the ages before electricity.

Plus, let’s not forget it’s just plain fun. As adults, we have to traverse through work, kids, traffic, trolls in our social media feed and a multitude of other things that suck the fun out of our lives.

On Halloween, we can live vicariously through our superheroes, other-worldly beings who are above reality, not susceptible to stress. Our costumes are projections of our anger, sexiness, love, desire to be accepted or any other emotion we want to publically display.

The idea that adults should not celebrate Halloween is like saying they shouldn’t go to Disneyland or the fair or anywhere with child-like delineations.

Adults need an outlet to express themselves and whether it’s carving a pumpkin, making spooky cocktail stirrers or dressing up like a werewolf, All Hallows Eve is the perfect time to show our creativity.

To take that away just makes the world a dull, stressful place with no expression and devoid of fun.

Who wants that? The Post writer should remove the stick from their backside, straddle it and pretend to be a witch.

We promise not to judge.